Souci, Daniel San. The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle, 2004. Print.

Appropriate for the ages of about 6 to 9, “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” by Daniel San Souci is based on Souci’s adventurous childhood. It’s about 3 brothers, their dog, and 3 of their best friends, who form a club, called “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” (Souci). Souci is also the illustrator of the book, and I must admit that his bright, comical and cartoonlike pictures really capture the spirit of the story.

I think that “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” honestly portrays the realities of life for today's children and has universal implications, simply by the way it shows how well all of the boys get along, whether it be playing or working together. Thus it displays how important friendships are.

I believe that “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” illuminates issues of growing up in today's world because of the fact that it shows that all good things must come to an end. Hence in the story, the main attraction of the club (which is a “King snake”) disappears and then Danny (Souci) decides to set it free. Following this “It wasn’t long afterwards that [the boys] let all the newts, salamanders, and other creatures go and ended The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” (Souci).

I feel that the characters in “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” are convincing and credible to today's child. A part of the story in which this is displayed, is the enthusiasm and excitement the boys portray in starting up and running the club, which I think would be typical and therefore, believable behavior for most children. The following passage is a competent example of the boys’ passion for their new club, “Every day we’d go to the park and search for new creatures to add to our collection. Soon all the shelves were full of newts, frogs, salamanders, garter snakes, and small lizards” (Souci).

I think Souci avoids stereotyping in “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” by the originality of the club and how it came to be. Thus the reason why it was formed in the first place is due to the brothers finding a bone, snake and catching tadpoles during a family holiday at “Lake County”, in America (Souci).

I believe that “The Dangerous Snake and Reptile Club” truly represents the experience of Caucasian American and Hispanic preadolescent boys. Hence the story shows the boys doing things that boys would normally do, such as playing with lizards, catching tadpoles, drawing pictures of dinosaurs, etcetera (Souci). Consequently the book helps children enlarge their personal points of view and develop appreciation for our ever-changing pluralistic society, as characters of different nationalities are the best of friends. ( )